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Voyageurs National Park Announces Kids Art Contest Winners

From the National Park Service, 4/20/09:

Art Contest Awards, Kids in Parks Award & National Park Week Open House Planned at Voyageurs National Park

Voyageurs National Park is pleased to announce the winners of the 6^th Annual National Park Week Kids Art Contest and 2nd Kids in Parks Program. Over 220 children entered the annual contest. This year the theme was the Boreal Forest – Many things it offers. All are invited to the Rainy Lake Visitor Center this Saturday, April 25, from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm for a variety of activities where there is something for everyone. Visitors may view the children’s art, attend the award ceremony, enjoy cake, and participate in a special presentation on the boreal forest. The first 100 people may plant a tree to take home, and view and purchase boreal forest craft demonstrations and products by local artists.

Artists Lynn Lufbery, John Zasada, and Lisa Jenkins will be giving hands-on demonstrations of their handcrafted boreal forest products. Lynn will share her love of painting the forests, John weaves birch bark baskets and Lisa will demonstrate the art of stained glass.

Awards will be given to the following art contest winners:

Preschool/Kindergarten

· 1^st Place, Lillian Paterson, Indus School

· 2^nd Place, Anna Windels, St. Thomas School

· 3^rd Place, John Grover, St. Thomas School

First and Second Grade

· 1^st Place, Carissa Shipley, West End Elementary

· 2^nd Place, Kalan McConnell, West End Elementary

· 3^rd Place, Logan Kruse, West End Elementary

· 3^rd Place, Derek Talmage, St. Thomas

Third and Fourth Grade

· 1^st Place, Nick Hedtke, Falls Elementary

· 2^nd Place, Grace Christianson, Falls Elementary

· 3^rd Place, Ben Everson, Falls Elementary

Fifth and Sixth Grade

· 1^st Place, Tessa Roux, Falls Elementary

· 2^nd Place, Alexis Graves, Falls Elementary

· 3^rd Place, Jessie Foreman, Falls Elementary

Voyageurs National Park is celebrating the 6^th year of the Kids Art Contest with the 2^nd year of the Kids in Parks Program. The 1^st place winner of the 5 – 6^th grade art contest (Tessa Roux) will get to participate in the Kids in Parks Program. The goal of the Kids in Parks Program is to share a park experience with a family from one of the park’s surrounding communities. The family will get a FREE weekend stay in the park, FREE tickets aboard the Otter Tour Boat, FREE tickets aboard the North Canoe Voyage in exchange for spending 2 hours with a park naturalist, 1 hour with a park ranger and do 1 volunteer project during their stay. Tessa will showcase her art work and help give a presentation of her stay in the park to the public at the August 14^th Special Speaker Series from 7 – 8 p.m. at the historic Woodenfrog State Forest Campground Refectory.

Join us at the Rainy Lake Visitor Center on Saturday, April 25 from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm as we celebrate National Park Week with activities, special presentations, door prizes crafted by local artists, and refreshments.

Scheduled Activities include: 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

· 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Handcrafted boreal forest product demonstrations by local artists- John Zasada, Lynn Lufbery and Lisa Jenkins.

· 11:30 a.m. View the kids artwork

· 12:00 p.m. Support our local kids! Join us for the award ceremony when we recognize the winners of the 6th Annual Kids Art Contest and the 2nd Annual Kids in Parks winner. Awards handed out by Park Superintendent Mike Ward.

· 12:30 p.m. Cut the Cake! Join us for a slice of our giant cake.

· 1:00 p.m. The Mighty Boreal Forest! Special presentation and activities by Dean Lindstrom, Co-president of the Friends of Voyageurs National Park.

· 1:30 p.m. Plant a tree in a biodegradable pot and take it home.

Prizes and refreshments for the Annual Kid’s Art Contest and the Kids in Parks program are provided by the Friends of Voyageurs National Park. Local artist demonstrations support provided by Lake States Interpretive Association.

National Park Week is proclaimed each year by the President of the United States to recognize and celebrate our national parks. America’s National Park System contains living examples of some of the best things our nation has to offer—magnificent natural landscapes and places that reflect our varied, yet inter-related heritage.

The best way to celebrate National Park Week is by visiting and enjoying your national parks. Voyageurs National Park welcomes you to join them this weekend to kick off a new season of great opportunities to enjoy the beautiful lakes, woods and wildlife of our northern home. Looking for suggestions of what to do in the park this spring or summer? Stop by the Rainy Lake Visitor Center (RLVC), open Wednesday through Sunday from 10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., or call the RLVC at 218-286-5258.